 | |
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | April 30- May 4 |
| Teams | 8 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | UCLA (21st title) |
| Runner-up | Long Beach State |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 7 |
| Attendance | 24,350 (3,479 per match) |
| Most Outstanding Player | Ethan Champlin (UCLA) |
The 2024 NCAA Men's National Collegiate Volleyball Tournament was the 53rd edition of the NCAA Men's National Collegiate Volleyball Championship, an annual tournament to determine the national champion of NCAA Division I and Division II men's collegiate indoor volleyball. The single-elimination tournament, which was expanded to eight teams with the addition of an automatic bid for the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) champion, began with four quarterfinal matches.[1] The entire tournament was hosted by California State University, Long Beach from April 30 to May 4, 2024, at the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach.[2]
The quarterfinals and semifinals were streamed live on NCAA.com. The National Championship was moved from ESPN2 to ESPN and took place on May 4 with ESPN+ simulcasting it.[3]
In an unprecedented decision, the SIAC was granted a waiver to be allowed an automatic bid despite not meeting the two-year eligibility waiting period requirement. The SIAC was granted the bid because the conference, consisting primarily of historically black colleges and universities, had been fostering growth and diversity in a community and region that has had little representation in men's volleyball.[4]
With Fort Valley State University receiving the automatic bid for the SIAC conference, the school made history as the first HBCU to compete in the NCAA Men's National Collegiate Volleyball Championship.[5]
Of note, the quarterfinals featured a sweep in every game, the first such occurrence since the 2013 NCAA Men's Volleyball Tournament, albeit an important difference being that the field was much smaller back then (4 compared to 8).
With UCLA winning its 21st title, it's the first time the school has repeated as champions since the 1995-1996 seasons. Likewise, their win marks the sixth school in a row to repeat as champions, starting with UC Irvine's repeat wins in the 2012-2013 seasons. Ironically, John Speraw, who just won back-to-back titles with UCLA also won with UC Irvine in 2012 season, before leaving to coach at UCLA in 2013.
- ^ "Eight Teams Compete for the Men's NCAA Title". USA Volleyball. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
- ^ "George Mason, Long Beach, Ohio State, UCLA earns 2023–26 bids to host NCAA Tournament". Off the Block. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
- ^ "NCAA men's volleyball quarterfinals begin; surging Mojo win in 5 in PVF". Volleyball Mag. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
- ^ "The BIC Special Edition: SIAC Approved for NCAA Tournament Auto Bid". American Volleyball Coaches Association. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
- ^ "HBCU Volleyball team set to face No. 1 UCLA in NCAA Tournament". Macon Telegraph. April 23, 2024. Retrieved May 1, 2024.